California Pheasant Hunting on Mondays during the 2012 Season

The California Department of Fish and Game (DFG) will offer several Monday pheasant hunting opportunities at northern California Type A wildlife areas in 2012.

The pheasant season opens on the second Saturday of November (Nov. 10) and the length of the season will remain the same: 44 consecutive days for the general season and 60 consecutive days for the archery season. For the 2012 hunting season, wildlife areas are open for pheasant hunting as follows:

Type A wildlife areas in the Sacramento Valley (Sacramento National Wildlife Refuge, Delevan National Wildlife Refuge, Colusa National Wildlife Refuge, Gray Lodge Wildlife Area, Upper Butte Basin Wildlife Area and Yolo Bypass Wildlife Area) will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, and only the first Monday (Nov. 12) of the pheasant season. Grizzly Island Wildlife Area will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays, and only the second Monday (Nov. 19) of the pheasant season.

Type A wildlife areas in the San Joaquin Valley (Los Banos Wildlife Area, Mendota Wildlife Area, North Grasslands Wildlife Area and San Luis National Wildlife Refuge) will be open for pheasant hunting on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesdays only during the pheasant season. Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge will be open for pheasant hunting on the first Monday of the pheasant season (Nov. 12).

The Wister Unit of Imperial Wildlife Area in Imperial County and San Jacinto Wildlife Area in Riverside County will be closed to pheasant hunting this year.

Type C wildlife areas will remain open as normal.

DFG reduced the number of days that certain wildlife areas were open for pheasant hunting in recent years due to a decline the number of hunters targeting pheasant and the cost to operate check stations during the first week of the season. Some of those reductions will remain in place for 2012, but pheasant hunting will be offered in some locations on the first or second Monday of the season.

The modifications of the shoot days on Type A wildlife areas are pursuant to subsections 550(b)(1) and 550(b)(2) of Title 14, California Code of Regulations.